Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

Editor reviews

Average editor rating from: 3 user(s)

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

3.7 (3)

Characters

4.7 (3)

Writing Style

4.7 (3)

SURPRISE! You’re all (well, those of you who know me well anyway) looking at my rating and going “what the eff? I came here for a ranty review; this is a prank, right?” Nope, it’s not a prank. In fact, I would like to hold up this review as proof that I go into books with an open mind, and not with my decision all set. As you all know (or can find out if so inclined), I didn’t loathe Shatter Me, but I wasn’t really impressed either. With Unravel Me, everything isn’t fixed, but a lot of my issues were addressed, and I had a great time reading the book. Thus, here we are with a high rating. Now let’s break it down.

World Building

Alright, I’m following the formatting from my Shatter Me review, which just happens to put the weaker stuff for this book up front. The world building remains pretty minimal. Of course, let’s be honest, the dystopian stuff was totally not what the series is most about. Anyway, I really don’t feel like I know too much more about the world than I did in Shatter Me. What caused this world? There’s no more on that. What’s causing the powers? Hell if I know. But, like with the first go-round, I really don’t care too much. I’m down for powers, and the world building’s no worse than what I’ve come to expect from YA dystopian, so, as long as everything else is fairly solid, oh well.

Plot

Again, plot isn’t necessarily the strong point of this series, at least so far. Unravel Me does a bit better, but it’s mostly a bunch of interaction with the occasional battle or something as everyone remembers there probably should have been a plot in there somewhere. So, while I’m not impressed, the book did keep me entertained, so I think there was sufficient forward motion offered by the drama to keep the minimal plot from being a huge drawback for me.

Also, here’s where I’ll start passing out some props. I was judging Mafi pretty hard for the fact that both Adam and Warner, BOTH LOVE INTERESTS, just happen to be able to touch Juliette, when no one else can. Holy convenience, Batman. Only, actually, I’m okay with the way that she explained that. In fact, part of the explanation totally added to my jollies as I read the book, so I totally approve.

Writing

Last time, I had a LOT to say about how crazy go nuts the writing in Shatter Me was, particularly the metaphors. Now, that’s not totally gone, of course, but there were a lot less phrases that tossed me out of the narrative. There are, I think, a couple of factors playing into this. First off, Juliette is, from what I’ve heard Mafi say at an event, getting more sane, so her thoughts are a bit tamer. Also, she’s in company for most of the book, which, as I observed in the previous book, tends to keep her from going off the metaphorical rails.

For the most part, though, it’s that this time, Juliette refrains from a lot of the metaphors that came out of left field. Some of them are weird, of course, but they make a certain sort of fractured sense, and I can totally see where her mind is coming from, which is a huge thing for me as a reader. If I’m in a first person narrative, even if I’m nothing like them, I want to be able to understand their thought processes, and this time I felt like I could. For example, the book opens with a kooky metaphor that I actually liked:

"The world might be sunny-side up today. The big ball of yellow might be spilling into the clouds, runny and yolky and blurring into the bluest sky, bright with cold hope and false promises about fond memories, real families, hearty breakfasts, stacks of pancakes drizzled in maple syrup sitting on a plate in a world that doesn’t exist anymore."

And, really, that’s about as weird as it gets, aside from the continuing organ shattering metaphors and forgetting to breathe. There were still a few clunkers, but not nearly as many as in the first book. If the writing in Shatter Me consistently annoyed you, then I don’t know that Unravel Me will be a welcome respite, but, if, like me, you thought it was mostly fine if Juliette would lay off some of the metaphors, Unravel Me might be worth giving a try.

Kenji

Yeah, that’s right. I’m making a new category just for Kenji. Because he’s so awesome. Listen, everyone TOLD me Kenji was amazing and that he made this book, but he was boring and smarmy and just another guy obsessed with Juliette in Shatter Me, so I was frankly a bit skeptical, which is my natural state after all. Kenji, though, he wears the hype well. See, Kenji deserves most of the credit for how much I liked this book. In a way, Kenji is me. He is every reader frustrated with Juliette and the ooey gooey romance. Kenji observes Adam and Juliette true loving and/or moping all over each other, and says the things that a person might want to say to them. When they’re being ridiculous and all “OMG I WANT TO DIE FOR YOU” and stuff, Kenji calls them on it.

Throughout the book, he’s basically dropping truth bombs like this one, after Adam told him Kenji he should leave if he doesn’t want to watch them play footsie under the table:

"“That’s bullshit and you know it,” Kenji says. “I told you this morning that I had to sit with you guys. Castle wants me to help the two of you adjust.” He snorts. Nods in my direction. “Listen, I don’t have a clue what you see in this guy,” he says,” but you should try living with him. The man is moody as hell.”"

More on Adam later. Kenji actually serves this role with EVERYTHING. When Juliette’s whining about how useless she is or how hard her life is, he is there. When people are too focused on romance when there’s important things going down, he’s ready with a truth bomb.

Kenji may not be the smoothest with words, but he has a very Kenji way of putting things. His superpower apparently also includes the ability to say what people truly need to hear and in a way that makes them listen. And he is SO VERY CATHARTIC for the reader. If Juliette and/or Adam frustrate you, then you will be praising Mafi for Adam, who brings sense to these absurdly melodramatic teenagers.

Juliette

In Shatter Me, Juliette was very powerful, but weak and whiny and pathetic pretty much the whole time. In Unravel Me, she continues to do a lot of that, BUT I am okay with it because there is a definite character arc happening. Juliette does engage in a lot of self-hatred and moping and angsting as per usual, especially when involved with Adam in any way, but she also makes progress towards personal growth. Not to belabor this point, but she owes a lot of her progress to Kenji. He gives her a lot of speeches about how much she doesn’t know herself, and over the course of the book, they begin to have an effect.

Eventually, not only is Kenji making fun of her for being absurdly melodramatic, but she actually starts doing it to herself as well. She’s not yet self-aware enough to put a stop to the behavior, but she does know she’s being over-the-top and ridiculous, and we all know the first step in fixing a problem is admitting you have one. She is on her way.

On the physical strength front, Juliette is starting to realize that she’s not a fluffy bunny, but she also still wishes she were a fluffy bunny. It’s all very confusing for her. She really resists her training at first, which does come from a good-hearted place, but is also a serious hindrance to her in being able to safely and effectively use her powers. Again, Kenji’s a pretty helpful guy in getting her to recognize some of the benefits of learning how to truly be herself and take advantage of what she can do. This hasn’t happened yet, but there have been many signs indicating Juliette might graduate to badassery, or at least the fringes thereof, in Ignite Me.

While I still don’t love Juliette or even really like her, I am not annoyed by her as much as I once was. She’s showing glimmers of becoming someone I might respect. What that means is that Mafi has crafted a pretty awesome character arc for her so far.

Romance

My analysis/prediction from book one about Juliette being SO MUCH WORSE when paired with Adam was super true. I mean, man. I totally called that one. They are a gross and awful, sappy as all get out couple, but that is mitigated by how hilarious they are and by the fact that Kenji calls them on it. Like, they are so much every possible cliché that I’m relatively positive that Mafi was having a laugh, though I can’t actually know for sure. It felt pretty self-mocking to me, but I could just be applying my own feelings to it, I suppose. Either way, I was definitely laughing out loud at several scenes.

Anyway, officially Team Warner, petter of fluffy puppies and not sobbing constantly. While they’re not a ship of ships, they do have much better chemistry than Adam and Juliette ever did. They also have a lot more in common, even though I’m still rolling my eyes at their instalove and Juliette’s being okay with how he read her diary. I mean, I get that she feels comfortable with him because he’s seen her at her worst, but still totally not okay. On the other hand, he does actually have a better idea who she really is, so his love is slightly more believable than Adam’s, if still stalkery. And, of course, Warner has the emotional scars to match hers, brought up alone and friendless in a way that Adam can’t understand.

Chapter 62 was admittedly pretty hot at points, but also I am frustrated because I’m not sure how far they got, and, thought it doesn’t really matter, the imprecision in books always bothers me.

Conclusion

As it turned out, there was a reason I felt the need to finish this series: I knew it had promise. Unravel Me still has plenty of problems if you want to get into that, but I was genuinely and seriously entertained, and there was also a lot of surprisingly good stuff. I’m feeling like looking on the bright side at the moment, and so I shall. I really liked this book. And I am grumpy that I have to wait until the hold for Ignite Me arrives from the library.

Made Me a Fan

SURPRISE! You’re all (well, those of you who know me well anyway) looking at my rating and going “what the eff? I came here for a ranty review; this is a prank, right?” Nope, it’s not a prank. In fact, I would like to hold up this review as proof that I go into books with an open mind, and not with my decision all set. As you all know (or can find out if so inclined), I didn’t loathe Shatter Me, but I wasn’t really impressed either. With Unravel Me, everything isn’t fixed, but a lot of my issues were addressed, and I had a great time reading the book. Thus, here we are with a high rating. Now let’s break it down.

World Building

Alright, I’m following the formatting from my Shatter Me review, which just happens to put the weaker stuff for this book up front. The world building remains pretty minimal. Of course, let’s be honest, the dystopian stuff was totally not what the series is most about. Anyway, I really don’t feel like I know too much more about the world than I did in Shatter Me. What caused this world? There’s no more on that. What’s causing the powers? Hell if I know. But, like with the first go-round, I really don’t care too much. I’m down for powers, and the world building’s no worse than what I’ve come to expect from YA dystopian, so, as long as everything else is fairly solid, oh well.

Plot

Again, plot isn’t necessarily the strong point of this series, at least so far. Unravel Me does a bit better, but it’s mostly a bunch of interaction with the occasional battle or something as everyone remembers there probably should have been a plot in there somewhere. So, while I’m not impressed, the book did keep me entertained, so I think there was sufficient forward motion offered by the drama to keep the minimal plot from being a huge drawback for me.

Also, here’s where I’ll start passing out some props. I was judging Mafi pretty hard for the fact that both Adam and Warner, BOTH LOVE INTERESTS, just happen to be able to touch Juliette, when no one else can. Holy convenience, Batman. Only, actually, I’m okay with the way that she explained that. In fact, part of the explanation totally added to my jollies as I read the book, so I totally approve.

Writing

Last time, I had a LOT to say about how crazy go nuts the writing in Shatter Me was, particularly the metaphors. Now, that’s not totally gone, of course, but there were a lot less phrases that tossed me out of the narrative. There are, I think, a couple of factors playing into this. First off, Juliette is, from what I’ve heard Mafi say at an event, getting more sane, so her thoughts are a bit tamer. Also, she’s in company for most of the book, which, as I observed in the previous book, tends to keep her from going off the metaphorical rails.

For the most part, though, it’s that this time, Juliette refrains from a lot of the metaphors that came out of left field. Some of them are weird, of course, but they make a certain sort of fractured sense, and I can totally see where her mind is coming from, which is a huge thing for me as a reader. If I’m in a first person narrative, even if I’m nothing like them, I want to be able to understand their thought processes, and this time I felt like I could. For example, the book opens with a kooky metaphor that I actually liked:

"The world might be sunny-side up today. The big ball of yellow might be spilling into the clouds, runny and yolky and blurring into the bluest sky, bright with cold hope and false promises about fond memories, real families, hearty breakfasts, stacks of pancakes drizzled in maple syrup sitting on a plate in a world that doesn’t exist anymore."

And, really, that’s about as weird as it gets, aside from the continuing organ shattering metaphors and forgetting to breathe. There were still a few clunkers, but not nearly as many as in the first book. If the writing in Shatter Me consistently annoyed you, then I don’t know that Unravel Me will be a welcome respite, but, if, like me, you thought it was mostly fine if Juliette would lay off some of the metaphors, Unravel Me might be worth giving a try.

Kenji

Yeah, that’s right. I’m making a new category just for Kenji. Because he’s so awesome. Listen, everyone TOLD me Kenji was amazing and that he made this book, but he was boring and smarmy and just another guy obsessed with Juliette in Shatter Me, so I was frankly a bit skeptical, which is my natural state after all. Kenji, though, he wears the hype well. See, Kenji deserves most of the credit for how much I liked this book. In a way, Kenji is me. He is every reader frustrated with Juliette and the ooey gooey romance. Kenji observes Adam and Juliette true loving and/or moping all over each other, and says the things that a person might want to say to them. When they’re being ridiculous and all “OMG I WANT TO DIE FOR YOU” and stuff, Kenji calls them on it.

Throughout the book, he’s basically dropping truth bombs like this one, after Adam told him Kenji he should leave if he doesn’t want to watch them play footsie under the table:

"“That’s bullshit and you know it,” Kenji says. “I told you this morning that I had to sit with you guys. Castle wants me to help the two of you adjust.” He snorts. Nods in my direction. “Listen, I don’t have a clue what you see in this guy,” he says,” but you should try living with him. The man is moody as hell.”"

More on Adam later. Kenji actually serves this role with EVERYTHING. When Juliette’s whining about how useless she is or how hard her life is, he is there. When people are too focused on romance when there’s important things going down, he’s ready with a truth bomb.

Kenji may not be the smoothest with words, but he has a very Kenji way of putting things. His superpower apparently also includes the ability to say what people truly need to hear and in a way that makes them listen. And he is SO VERY CATHARTIC for the reader. If Juliette and/or Adam frustrate you, then you will be praising Mafi for Adam, who brings sense to these absurdly melodramatic teenagers.

Juliette

In Shatter Me, Juliette was very powerful, but weak and whiny and pathetic pretty much the whole time. In Unravel Me, she continues to do a lot of that, BUT I am okay with it because there is a definite character arc happening. Juliette does engage in a lot of self-hatred and moping and angsting as per usual, especially when involved with Adam in any way, but she also makes progress towards personal growth. Not to belabor this point, but she owes a lot of her progress to Kenji. He gives her a lot of speeches about how much she doesn’t know herself, and over the course of the book, they begin to have an effect.

Eventually, not only is Kenji making fun of her for being absurdly melodramatic, but she actually starts doing it to herself as well. She’s not yet self-aware enough to put a stop to the behavior, but she does know she’s being over-the-top and ridiculous, and we all know the first step in fixing a problem is admitting you have one. She is on her way.

On the physical strength front, Juliette is starting to realize that she’s not a fluffy bunny, but she also still wishes she were a fluffy bunny. It’s all very confusing for her. She really resists her training at first, which does come from a good-hearted place, but is also a serious hindrance to her in being able to safely and effectively use her powers. Again, Kenji’s a pretty helpful guy in getting her to recognize some of the benefits of learning how to truly be herself and take advantage of what she can do. This hasn’t happened yet, but there have been many signs indicating Juliette might graduate to badassery, or at least the fringes thereof, in Ignite Me.

While I still don’t love Juliette or even really like her, I am not annoyed by her as much as I once was. She’s showing glimmers of becoming someone I might respect. What that means is that Mafi has crafted a pretty awesome character arc for her so far.

Romance

My analysis/prediction from book one about Juliette being SO MUCH WORSE when paired with Adam was super true. I mean, man. I totally called that one. They are a gross and awful, sappy as all get out couple, but that is mitigated by how hilarious they are and by the fact that Kenji calls them on it. Like, they are so much every possible cliché that I’m relatively positive that Mafi was having a laugh, though I can’t actually know for sure. It felt pretty self-mocking to me, but I could just be applying my own feelings to it, I suppose. Either way, I was definitely laughing out loud at several scenes.

Anyway, officially Team Warner, petter of fluffy puppies and not sobbing constantly. While they’re not a ship of ships, they do have much better chemistry than Adam and Juliette ever did. They also have a lot more in common, even though I’m still rolling my eyes at their instalove and Juliette’s being okay with how he read her diary. I mean, I get that she feels comfortable with him because he’s seen her at her worst, but still totally not okay. On the other hand, he does actually have a better idea who she really is, so his love is slightly more believable than Adam’s, if still stalkery. And, of course, Warner has the emotional scars to match hers, brought up alone and friendless in a way that Adam can’t understand.

Chapter 62 was admittedly pretty hot at points, but also I am frustrated because I’m not sure how far they got, and, thought it doesn’t really matter, the imprecision in books always bothers me.

Conclusion

As it turned out, there was a reason I felt the need to finish this series: I knew it had promise. Unravel Me still has plenty of problems if you want to get into that, but I was genuinely and seriously entertained, and there was also a lot of surprisingly good stuff. I’m feeling like looking on the bright side at the moment, and so I shall. I really liked this book. And I am grumpy that I have to wait until the hold for Ignite Me arrives from the library.

I absolutely loved this book. Honestly, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first one, just because we are suddenly thrown outside of Juliette's mind, into the wider world, exploring other characters and other plot arcs, and really. . .that's a great thing! I just wanted more crazy Juliette, more quirkiness, more crossed out lines. Regardless, Unravel Me is well-plotted, fast-paced, heart-rending, and amazing!

Incredible Follow-Up to Shatter Me

I absolutely loved this book. Honestly, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first one, just because we are suddenly thrown outside of Juliette's mind, into the wider world, exploring other characters and other plot arcs, and really. . .that's a great thing! I just wanted more crazy Juliette, more quirkiness, more crossed out lines. Regardless, Unravel Me is well-plotted, fast-paced, heart-rending, and amazing!

To say this sequel to the electrifying Shatter Me is intense would be an understatement of epic proportions. I was merely a few pages into it when my heart decided to jump out of my chest and take up residence in my throat where it pretty much stayed before exploding it went *poof* right along with my mind. *poof* I tell you... *POOF!*

Unravel Me pick ups where Shatter Me leaves off and is full of gut-wrenching feels aka, action, suspense and plot twists that are both shocking and heartbreaking. Tahereh's prose is still poetic and beautiful and once again, you feel like you are IN Juliette's head peering out of her eyes. (Not a bad view mind you.)

Juliette wants nothing more than to fit in and spend her time making out with Adam, um, I mean, safe within Omega Point but her battle to overcome a lifetime of insecurities makes it difficult for her to trust others. She's supposed to be learning how to manage her ability but a situation arises that leaves her feeling dead, weak, alone and useless. With the help of the others and the snarkilicious Kenji, Juliette will begin to discover that there is strength in power and while it may be deadly, it can still be good.

Adam is as fantastic as ever but he broke my heart in this book. I seriously wanted to write myself into the story as a character with the ability to bake lethal cupcakes, so I could hug him - forever. He not only has James to look after and a war to prepare for, but he and Juliette will face challenges they never could've imagined. His love for her is the one constant she can count on but will it be enough? *clutches chest*

We get to spend more time with Kenji and he is made of awesome! He's the kind of friend everyone needs because can make you laugh one minute with his snark and throw down some truth in the next.

"Yeah, bro." Kenji puts his utensils down. "You are moody. It's always 'Shut up, Kenji.' 'Go to sleep, Kenji.' 'No one want to see you naked, Kenji.' When I know for a fact that there are thousands of people who would love to see me naked-"

Then there's Warner. *sighs* I didn't think it was possible to love a would-be villain more but OH.MY.WORD! *fans face* We get a glimpse of the different layers that make up Warner and he's more broken than Humpty Dumpty. A tormented mix of strength, hotness and heart aching vulnerability, I couldn't decide if I wanted to punch him in the junk or do something to take all of his hurt away. (Like bake him some brownies and talk like we've done in my dreams.)

Mind Blowing Sequel!

To say this sequel to the electrifying Shatter Me is intense would be an understatement of epic proportions. I was merely a few pages into it when my heart decided to jump out of my chest and take up residence in my throat where it pretty much stayed before exploding it went *poof* right along with my mind. *poof* I tell you... *POOF!*

Unravel Me pick ups where Shatter Me leaves off and is full of gut-wrenching feels aka, action, suspense and plot twists that are both shocking and heartbreaking. Tahereh's prose is still poetic and beautiful and once again, you feel like you are IN Juliette's head peering out of her eyes. (Not a bad view mind you.)

Juliette wants nothing more than to fit in and spend her time making out with Adam, um, I mean, safe within Omega Point but her battle to overcome a lifetime of insecurities makes it difficult for her to trust others. She's supposed to be learning how to manage her ability but a situation arises that leaves her feeling dead, weak, alone and useless. With the help of the others and the snarkilicious Kenji, Juliette will begin to discover that there is strength in power and while it may be deadly, it can still be good.

Adam is as fantastic as ever but he broke my heart in this book. I seriously wanted to write myself into the story as a character with the ability to bake lethal cupcakes, so I could hug him - forever. He not only has James to look after and a war to prepare for, but he and Juliette will face challenges they never could've imagined. His love for her is the one constant she can count on but will it be enough? *clutches chest*

We get to spend more time with Kenji and he is made of awesome! He's the kind of friend everyone needs because can make you laugh one minute with his snark and throw down some truth in the next.

"Yeah, bro." Kenji puts his utensils down. "You are moody. It's always 'Shut up, Kenji.' 'Go to sleep, Kenji.' 'No one want to see you naked, Kenji.' When I know for a fact that there are thousands of people who would love to see me naked-"

Then there's Warner. *sighs* I didn't think it was possible to love a would-be villain more but OH.MY.WORD! *fans face* We get a glimpse of the different layers that make up Warner and he's more broken than Humpty Dumpty. A tormented mix of strength, hotness and heart aching vulnerability, I couldn't decide if I wanted to punch him in the junk or do something to take all of his hurt away. (Like bake him some brownies and talk like we've done in my dreams.)

THE GIST: Unravel Me is a strong second piece in the Shatter Me series. It’s the pay-off for the angst built into Mafi’s novella Destroy Me (Shatter Me, #1.5), while delivering heart-breaking new degrees of devastation, realizations, twists, and yes, even more angst. There’s a third book coming so we know it can’t be relieved in book two, right?

SYNOPSIS: Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She’s finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam’s life.

BREAKDOWN: I should start by saying “anticipation” doesn’t quite cover how much I looked forward to this book’s release! Shatter Me rocked my world. It’s one of only a couple books I’ve ever read twice. Actually I read it two and a half times, I just never had time to finish reading it the third time. It was also the first book I read almost entirely in one day.

So, yeah, I was pretty stoked about this sequel! And now that I’ve finished, I can’t wait for book three!

If you saw my reviews of Shatter Me and Destroy Me, you know I thought very highly of both Unravel Me predecessors. How did this installment stack up? Quite nicely. You know an author is doing something right when she makes your heart-break (and race) for the bad guy. Even better, when you root for him. I often found myself just as conflicted as the heroine, Juliette.

Without compromising the style that made Mafi’s first book so compelling and unique, she delivered a highly emotional and visceral look into Juliette’s greatest dilemma thus far. Juliette made choices that took an incredible amount of resolve, and she grew because of them. And yes, one decision in particular brought me to tears. I like who she is becoming, and I’m excited to see how the new Juliette polishes off the war taking place in her world.

Which reminds me…Can you say cliffhanger? Said war is still raging with no resolution in sight. How do I feel about this? Not sure, perhaps a little slighted, but Mafi did her job of making me ready for the next book, as she always does. That’s not to say the book was unfulfilling, just that it took place in a very brief three-week time span, and most of the book’s central conflict was directly related to Juliette and the characters that are closest to her, while focusing less on the external story taking place in the background. I feel this book’s purpose was to set the stage for something huge in the final installment, and I certainly hope it pays off. For now, I get to (im)patiently wait for the 2014 release of the untitled finale.

THE GIST: Unravel Me is a strong second piece in the Shatter Me series. It’s the pay-off for the angst built into Mafi’s novella Destroy Me (Shatter Me, #1.5), while delivering heart-breaking new degrees of devastation, realizations, twists, and yes, even more angst. There’s a third book coming so we know it can’t be relieved in book two, right?

SYNOPSIS: Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She’s finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam’s life.

BREAKDOWN: I should start by saying “anticipation” doesn’t quite cover how much I looked forward to this book’s release! Shatter Me rocked my world. It’s one of only a couple books I’ve ever read twice. Actually I read it two and a half times, I just never had time to finish reading it the third time. It was also the first book I read almost entirely in one day.

So, yeah, I was pretty stoked about this sequel! And now that I’ve finished, I can’t wait for book three!

If you saw my reviews of Shatter Me and Destroy Me, you know I thought very highly of both Unravel Me predecessors. How did this installment stack up? Quite nicely. You know an author is doing something right when she makes your heart-break (and race) for the bad guy. Even better, when you root for him. I often found myself just as conflicted as the heroine, Juliette.

Without compromising the style that made Mafi’s first book so compelling and unique, she delivered a highly emotional and visceral look into Juliette’s greatest dilemma thus far. Juliette made choices that took an incredible amount of resolve, and she grew because of them. And yes, one decision in particular brought me to tears. I like who she is becoming, and I’m excited to see how the new Juliette polishes off the war taking place in her world.

Which reminds me…Can you say cliffhanger? Said war is still raging with no resolution in sight. How do I feel about this? Not sure, perhaps a little slighted, but Mafi did her job of making me ready for the next book, as she always does. That’s not to say the book was unfulfilling, just that it took place in a very brief three-week time span, and most of the book’s central conflict was directly related to Juliette and the characters that are closest to her, while focusing less on the external story taking place in the background. I feel this book’s purpose was to set the stage for something huge in the final installment, and I certainly hope it pays off. For now, I get to (im)patiently wait for the 2014 release of the untitled finale.

If you thought Shatter Me was something special, wait till you read Unravel Me. Tahareh's writing style just amazes me. How she merges poetry with prose. It's just so beautiful. If, by any chance you still haven't read Unravel Me, or dare I say Shatter Me, please, do because there is no way you won't like what this woman has to say. It's an emotional bomb. Ovaries were exploding every time Warner showed up.

Unravel Me starts of with Juliette and Adam discovering he isn't immune to Juliette's touch. So they try to stay away from one another which only brings out almost 200 pages of relationship drama. Don't get me wrong, I was enjoying it because it was all working out the way I hoped it would. In the middle of this drama Warner appears and we see the amazing dog scene from Destroy Me in Juliette's POV. She can't get Warner out of her head because he seemed so different from the cruel and heartless guy she met in the first book.

Warner! How much I love him! He was the villain which I don't actually see as one. He's just got a lot of daddy issues like pretty much anyone in this book. I was a huge Warner fan since Shatter Me, he made me fall in love with him in Destroy Me and I was totally crazy after I got to know him even more in Unravel Me. He is smart, good-looking well trained soldier. He loves to read and whenever he speaks he does seem better than others, in spite of his flaws. And yet, there are so many things we don't know about him. Tahereh is a smart lady. She's not going to reveal all her card till the final round.

Chapter 62 deserves to be mentioned too for I feel there hasn't been a chapter this emotional and hot, well, since forever. It gave me so much joy and yet I wanted more. Since I have both hardback and the audiobook of Unravel Me I had to listen so I can experience it in another, totally different way. And let me tell you, the way that Kate Simses narrates is just unbelievable. You can feel the longing and restraint.

Juliette and Warner are going to end up together in the final book because there is no way Tahereh wrote all that in Unravel Me and say 'Oh, that wasn't anything special. Juliette and Adam are endgame.' I refuse to believe there is even a small chance it won't go my way. I mean, after so many of my teams lost, I at least deserve to get this one! I deserve to be happy and so do these characters. Even Tahereh's mum is on Team Warner. :D

I don't care much about Adam. He can be unhappy for the rest of his life. LOL I did like him in Shatter Me and yet there was Warner. Warner steals every scene. Adam, the stoic guy who walks in thigh shirts just seems unrealistic. There's just something that rubs me the wrong way whenever he's there. And even Juliette doesn't think he can handle her deepest secrets but she can confide in Warner. A & J just aren't compatible enough.

There was one character I need to mention. He saved our Juliette from being a big mess after she faces every small obstacle. It's Kenji! He is an epithet for what it means to be a friend, even though he was just doing his job. He was Juliette's rock, while Adam was out sulking and dealing with his problems. Kenji, the guy who always makes us laugh with his roguish charm has some secrets of his own. He doesn't share a lot of his true feeling but it was obvious he cares about a lot of people. I'm sure Tahereh will write a novella in his POV so we'll finally understand why he is the way he is.

And last but not least, Juliette. She went through a transformation. She still cries, pities herself and apologizes to everyone for every single thing people don't approve about her. After she talked with Warner I believe he gave her some insight how to overcome those things and by the end she was fierce. That last page was shocking, at least to me it was. She is done playing nice and I wanted to scream because I can't wait to see what is her next move. Will she join Warner to help take down his father, will she be on her own, or will she go back to save her friends? Where is the third book? I want it now!

One of the best book I've ever read

If you thought Shatter Me was something special, wait till you read Unravel Me. Tahareh's writing style just amazes me. How she merges poetry with prose. It's just so beautiful. If, by any chance you still haven't read Unravel Me, or dare I say Shatter Me, please, do because there is no way you won't like what this woman has to say. It's an emotional bomb. Ovaries were exploding every time Warner showed up.

Unravel Me starts of with Juliette and Adam discovering he isn't immune to Juliette's touch. So they try to stay away from one another which only brings out almost 200 pages of relationship drama. Don't get me wrong, I was enjoying it because it was all working out the way I hoped it would. In the middle of this drama Warner appears and we see the amazing dog scene from Destroy Me in Juliette's POV. She can't get Warner out of her head because he seemed so different from the cruel and heartless guy she met in the first book.

Warner! How much I love him! He was the villain which I don't actually see as one. He's just got a lot of daddy issues like pretty much anyone in this book. I was a huge Warner fan since Shatter Me, he made me fall in love with him in Destroy Me and I was totally crazy after I got to know him even more in Unravel Me. He is smart, good-looking well trained soldier. He loves to read and whenever he speaks he does seem better than others, in spite of his flaws. And yet, there are so many things we don't know about him. Tahereh is a smart lady. She's not going to reveal all her card till the final round.

Chapter 62 deserves to be mentioned too for I feel there hasn't been a chapter this emotional and hot, well, since forever. It gave me so much joy and yet I wanted more. Since I have both hardback and the audiobook of Unravel Me I had to listen so I can experience it in another, totally different way. And let me tell you, the way that Kate Simses narrates is just unbelievable. You can feel the longing and restraint.

Juliette and Warner are going to end up together in the final book because there is no way Tahereh wrote all that in Unravel Me and say 'Oh, that wasn't anything special. Juliette and Adam are endgame.' I refuse to believe there is even a small chance it won't go my way. I mean, after so many of my teams lost, I at least deserve to get this one! I deserve to be happy and so do these characters. Even Tahereh's mum is on Team Warner. :D

I don't care much about Adam. He can be unhappy for the rest of his life. LOL I did like him in Shatter Me and yet there was Warner. Warner steals every scene. Adam, the stoic guy who walks in thigh shirts just seems unrealistic. There's just something that rubs me the wrong way whenever he's there. And even Juliette doesn't think he can handle her deepest secrets but she can confide in Warner. A & J just aren't compatible enough.

There was one character I need to mention. He saved our Juliette from being a big mess after she faces every small obstacle. It's Kenji! He is an epithet for what it means to be a friend, even though he was just doing his job. He was Juliette's rock, while Adam was out sulking and dealing with his problems. Kenji, the guy who always makes us laugh with his roguish charm has some secrets of his own. He doesn't share a lot of his true feeling but it was obvious he cares about a lot of people. I'm sure Tahereh will write a novella in his POV so we'll finally understand why he is the way he is.

And last but not least, Juliette. She went through a transformation. She still cries, pities herself and apologizes to everyone for every single thing people don't approve about her. After she talked with Warner I believe he gave her some insight how to overcome those things and by the end she was fierce. That last page was shocking, at least to me it was. She is done playing nice and I wanted to scream because I can't wait to see what is her next move. Will she join Warner to help take down his father, will she be on her own, or will she go back to save her friends? Where is the third book? I want it now!

*drool*

I was arguing with myself nearly the whole time I was reading. I really wanted to see Juliette's side of things, but I just couldn't get down with her woe is me attitude and self-loathing. In Shatter Me she had the crappy life going for her, but I just couldn't grant her that pass in Unravel Me. She was with people like herself -- some of whom had similarly crappy lives -- and she had at least a few people caring for her and wanting to be her friend.

Just so you know, before I get into the relationship stuff, I'm a Warner fan through and through. That Adam guy can just go sit in the corner.

I can see Juliette's side of the whole thing: she still loves Adam but doesn't want to cause him pain. On the flip side: no. Adam begs her over and over for a chance to be together and try to work through it, but does she listen? No, instead she repeatedly "forgets herself" and finds some way to have intimate contact with him only to push him away and get all wishy-washy, further stringing along and confusing both guys.

And my poor, poor Warner. Okay, I totally understand Juliette's complete confusion when it comes to her feelings for him. He's a pretty confusing guy and most of what she's seen from him is pretty bad. But he opens his heart up to her multiple times only to have her hold it in her hands a moment before carelessly tossing it on the floor and walking away. And she continues to tell him she thinks he can change, but isn't exactly helping him by treating him like the same person.

I'm glad to have seen growth in Juliette by the end even if she spent the better part of the book being generally annoying. I like that she noticed herself feeling more confident after her time away from Adam.

The Nutshell: I enjoyed Unravel Me more than it's predecessor, but Juliette's attitude bogged down the story for me. I wanted a little (or a lot) more Warner, a little more action, and a lot less angst. I appreciated Juliette's growth away from Adam and her few super badass moments, but her pity parties got in the way of all that. In the end, it was a pretty solid story and I'm looking forward to the final one.

Unravel Me review

I was arguing with myself nearly the whole time I was reading. I really wanted to see Juliette's side of things, but I just couldn't get down with her woe is me attitude and self-loathing. In Shatter Me she had the crappy life going for her, but I just couldn't grant her that pass in Unravel Me. She was with people like herself -- some of whom had similarly crappy lives -- and she had at least a few people caring for her and wanting to be her friend.

Just so you know, before I get into the relationship stuff, I'm a Warner fan through and through. That Adam guy can just go sit in the corner.

I can see Juliette's side of the whole thing: she still loves Adam but doesn't want to cause him pain. On the flip side: no. Adam begs her over and over for a chance to be together and try to work through it, but does she listen? No, instead she repeatedly "forgets herself" and finds some way to have intimate contact with him only to push him away and get all wishy-washy, further stringing along and confusing both guys.

And my poor, poor Warner. Okay, I totally understand Juliette's complete confusion when it comes to her feelings for him. He's a pretty confusing guy and most of what she's seen from him is pretty bad. But he opens his heart up to her multiple times only to have her hold it in her hands a moment before carelessly tossing it on the floor and walking away. And she continues to tell him she thinks he can change, but isn't exactly helping him by treating him like the same person.

I'm glad to have seen growth in Juliette by the end even if she spent the better part of the book being generally annoying. I like that she noticed herself feeling more confident after her time away from Adam.

The Nutshell: I enjoyed Unravel Me more than it's predecessor, but Juliette's attitude bogged down the story for me. I wanted a little (or a lot) more Warner, a little more action, and a lot less angst. I appreciated Juliette's growth away from Adam and her few super badass moments, but her pity parties got in the way of all that. In the end, it was a pretty solid story and I'm looking forward to the final one.

After my excitement for this series had been rekindled by Destroy Me, I was really looking forward to Unravel Me. I was sure my dislike of Shatter Me was a situational thing; I must have disliked it because of the headspace I was in when I read it! And then I realized it wasn’t Unravel Me per se that I disliked, but it’s heroine; it’s pathetically whiney, dependent and frail heroine who showed no little growth since Shatter Me.

Before I get into all of the reasons why Juliette has ruined this series for me, I would like to comment on the one thing things I did enjoy in Unravel Me. With its stream of consciousness narration, Unravel Me manages to succeed at being incredibly fast-paced, even though almost nothing is happening during its 400+ pages. I will admit to skimming over most of Juliette’s angsty monologues about feeling inadequate, which means I probably skimmed over most of Unravel Me, but thanks to almost nonexistent punctuation in between Juliettes’ thoughts, Unravel Me reads surprisingly quickly for its lengthier size. Mafi’s prose, while definitely of the purple nature, is also quite pretty even though it rarely makes sense.

"It’s the kind of kiss that makes you realize oxygen is overrated."

This is where I almost put the book down. I should have known then, but I was promised a world of delights if I read through until Chapter 62, so I persevered.

As for Juliette, I’m going to quote from my review of Shatter Me, since it seems appropriate here:

"For the vast majority of the book, she spends her time crying/trembling/gasping/blushing, all while adamantly refusing to understand how anyone, but especially Adam, could care for her. This type of behaviour I could have forgiven, had she shown any growth. But it wasn’t until the last few chapters that she went from being a weak, ridiculously melodramatic and frustratingly insecure protagonist into one with the glimmer of something resembling strength."

It’s surprising that I could have written that without referencing my Shatter Me review, and you wouldn’t have known it had come from a review of a different book! Juliette has seen absolutely no growth since Shatter Me; the description I posted above is equally as fitting in Unravel Me. You know how I know Juliette is supposed to have grown? Because she tells me so!

"I’ve come to realize that being away from him has forced me to rely on myself. To allow myself to be scared and to find my own way through it. I’ve had to train without him, fight without him, face Warner and Anderson and the chaos of my mind all without him by my side. And I feel different now. I feel stronger since putting space between us.

And I don’t know what that means.

All I know is that it’ll never be safe for me to rely on someone else again, to need constant reassurance of who I am and who I might someday be. I can love him, but I can’t depend on him to be my backbone. I can’t be my own person if I constantly require someone else to hold me together."

But guess what she was doing ten pages previous to this enlightenment? Sobbing on her knees, trembling in fright, and relying on someone else to pick her up.

I understand that Juliette had a tough childhood. I understand that she was tortured at a young age and that there will be psychological repercussions because of it. I understand that this might lead to moments of confusion/angst/self-pity/etc. But understanding and believing are two different things. I didn’t believe that Juliette was acting out of some deep psychological torment when she played mind games with both Adam and Warner. I didn’t believe that Juliette thought herself a monster, and that was the reason she was so afraid to learn how to control her abilities. And I didn’t believe in her inner strength because every time she was pushed, she fell to the ground, crying.

As for chapter 62, I was too distracted by Juliette’s complete and utter betrayal to enjoy any of it.

Whiney, Dependent and Frail Heroine

After my excitement for this series had been rekindled by Destroy Me, I was really looking forward to Unravel Me. I was sure my dislike of Shatter Me was a situational thing; I must have disliked it because of the headspace I was in when I read it! And then I realized it wasn’t Unravel Me per se that I disliked, but it’s heroine; it’s pathetically whiney, dependent and frail heroine who showed no little growth since Shatter Me.

Before I get into all of the reasons why Juliette has ruined this series for me, I would like to comment on the one thing things I did enjoy in Unravel Me. With its stream of consciousness narration, Unravel Me manages to succeed at being incredibly fast-paced, even though almost nothing is happening during its 400+ pages. I will admit to skimming over most of Juliette’s angsty monologues about feeling inadequate, which means I probably skimmed over most of Unravel Me, but thanks to almost nonexistent punctuation in between Juliettes’ thoughts, Unravel Me reads surprisingly quickly for its lengthier size. Mafi’s prose, while definitely of the purple nature, is also quite pretty even though it rarely makes sense.

"It’s the kind of kiss that makes you realize oxygen is overrated."

This is where I almost put the book down. I should have known then, but I was promised a world of delights if I read through until Chapter 62, so I persevered.

As for Juliette, I’m going to quote from my review of Shatter Me, since it seems appropriate here:

"For the vast majority of the book, she spends her time crying/trembling/gasping/blushing, all while adamantly refusing to understand how anyone, but especially Adam, could care for her. This type of behaviour I could have forgiven, had she shown any growth. But it wasn’t until the last few chapters that she went from being a weak, ridiculously melodramatic and frustratingly insecure protagonist into one with the glimmer of something resembling strength."

It’s surprising that I could have written that without referencing my Shatter Me review, and you wouldn’t have known it had come from a review of a different book! Juliette has seen absolutely no growth since Shatter Me; the description I posted above is equally as fitting in Unravel Me. You know how I know Juliette is supposed to have grown? Because she tells me so!

"I’ve come to realize that being away from him has forced me to rely on myself. To allow myself to be scared and to find my own way through it. I’ve had to train without him, fight without him, face Warner and Anderson and the chaos of my mind all without him by my side. And I feel different now. I feel stronger since putting space between us.

And I don’t know what that means.

All I know is that it’ll never be safe for me to rely on someone else again, to need constant reassurance of who I am and who I might someday be. I can love him, but I can’t depend on him to be my backbone. I can’t be my own person if I constantly require someone else to hold me together."

But guess what she was doing ten pages previous to this enlightenment? Sobbing on her knees, trembling in fright, and relying on someone else to pick her up.

I understand that Juliette had a tough childhood. I understand that she was tortured at a young age and that there will be psychological repercussions because of it. I understand that this might lead to moments of confusion/angst/self-pity/etc. But understanding and believing are two different things. I didn’t believe that Juliette was acting out of some deep psychological torment when she played mind games with both Adam and Warner. I didn’t believe that Juliette thought herself a monster, and that was the reason she was so afraid to learn how to control her abilities. And I didn’t believe in her inner strength because every time she was pushed, she fell to the ground, crying.

As for chapter 62, I was too distracted by Juliette’s complete and utter betrayal to enjoy any of it.

This is one of the very few times I liked the second book better than the first in a trilogy.

Shatter Me I found okay. The story was original, but the characters did not really get to me. Juliette had not much of a voice and cried too much. Adam I found a flat character, he had no character development at all and it seemed Juliette only liked him because he was not affected by her letal touch. Warner was just your typical villain, no development there either. Ergo, I was not really captivated by this book. But nevertheless I tried the second book, thank God!

The beginning of the book was quite the same as Shatter Me. Juliette had escaped her imprisonment by Warner with help of Adam and Kenji. The three of them were taken to the rebel base. The book starts with Juliette whining and Adam being distant and not very nice. Luckily there was Kenji, who brought humor and talked the occasional sense into Juliette which she really needed.
Then the big chance happened that made me love the book: Warner was captured and brought to base. And he appeared to be so different from the villain in book 1. He had read Juliette's notes from the asylum and it had changed him. He really loved her now and he was not afraid to show it. His father had now become the ultimate villain and Warner had defied him. It seemed too good to be true. Juliette started growing towards him, which I found quite weird, since she hated him in book 1... But she did and Adam moved more and more to the background.
In the middle of the book they found out Adam and Warner are actually brothers, but this was quickly forgotten and not really mentioned again (also weird).
The rest of the book was about Juliette and Warner growing close. Warner discovered he had a gift too and Juliette realised more and more she and Warner are actually the same. Warner turns out to be more of a misunderstood than a bad guy. They are both hated by everyone (although this is not actually the case for Juliette, she just thinks that) and share the same interests. But of course when Warner asked her to run away with him she chooses Adam. Why she does that I do not know, since she and Adam almost never talk and have even broken up. Then the 'big' attack by Warner's father begins (this took about 3 pages and was made seem unimportant) and Juliette is captured. At the end Warner saves Juliette from his father and it seems everything is well.
What struck me about this book was the beautiful style of writing. The crossed out words gave an edge to the book and some lines were really poetic and beautiful.

Okay, I know this review seems a little negative about the book, but I really did love it. I still found Juliette a bit irritating and Adam was even worse than in the first book and developed into a whiny guy who could not let go of his ex. The thing that made this book great was Warner. His character changed so much since book 1. He went from villain to misunderstood, likeable guy. I know he is still not nice to anyone but Juliette, but I truly believe she has changed him. We also get a sort of explaination for his bad behaviour. First, we meet his dad, who is the worst dad ever. Then, we discover his ability: sensing people's emotions. If you your whole life sensed people hated you, would you not become a little irritated with them?

I would definitely recommend Unravel Me to everyone.
I cannot wait for the next book!

Love this book!

This is one of the very few times I liked the second book better than the first in a trilogy.

Shatter Me I found okay. The story was original, but the characters did not really get to me. Juliette had not much of a voice and cried too much. Adam I found a flat character, he had no character development at all and it seemed Juliette only liked him because he was not affected by her letal touch. Warner was just your typical villain, no development there either. Ergo, I was not really captivated by this book. But nevertheless I tried the second book, thank God!

The beginning of the book was quite the same as Shatter Me. Juliette had escaped her imprisonment by Warner with help of Adam and Kenji. The three of them were taken to the rebel base. The book starts with Juliette whining and Adam being distant and not very nice. Luckily there was Kenji, who brought humor and talked the occasional sense into Juliette which she really needed.
Then the big chance happened that made me love the book: Warner was captured and brought to base. And he appeared to be so different from the villain in book 1. He had read Juliette's notes from the asylum and it had changed him. He really loved her now and he was not afraid to show it. His father had now become the ultimate villain and Warner had defied him. It seemed too good to be true. Juliette started growing towards him, which I found quite weird, since she hated him in book 1... But she did and Adam moved more and more to the background.
In the middle of the book they found out Adam and Warner are actually brothers, but this was quickly forgotten and not really mentioned again (also weird).
The rest of the book was about Juliette and Warner growing close. Warner discovered he had a gift too and Juliette realised more and more she and Warner are actually the same. Warner turns out to be more of a misunderstood than a bad guy. They are both hated by everyone (although this is not actually the case for Juliette, she just thinks that) and share the same interests. But of course when Warner asked her to run away with him she chooses Adam. Why she does that I do not know, since she and Adam almost never talk and have even broken up. Then the 'big' attack by Warner's father begins (this took about 3 pages and was made seem unimportant) and Juliette is captured. At the end Warner saves Juliette from his father and it seems everything is well.
What struck me about this book was the beautiful style of writing. The crossed out words gave an edge to the book and some lines were really poetic and beautiful.

Okay, I know this review seems a little negative about the book, but I really did love it. I still found Juliette a bit irritating and Adam was even worse than in the first book and developed into a whiny guy who could not let go of his ex. The thing that made this book great was Warner. His character changed so much since book 1. He went from villain to misunderstood, likeable guy. I know he is still not nice to anyone but Juliette, but I truly believe she has changed him. We also get a sort of explaination for his bad behaviour. First, we meet his dad, who is the worst dad ever. Then, we discover his ability: sensing people's emotions. If you your whole life sensed people hated you, would you not become a little irritated with them?

I would definitely recommend Unravel Me to everyone.
I cannot wait for the next book!

I don't know how I made it out of this book alive. I swear, half of the time I was an emotional wreck, and the other half I just yelled at the characters and had so many questions. I excitedly waited for the arrival of this book, and was not disappointed.

Unravel me should really be called Character Develop Me. I'm not complaining, I really enjoyed seeing a different side to Adam and Warner. Even Kenji, and the other characters got more air-time then they normally would have in series. I really enjoyed reading this book, but as a warning, there are some scenes not advised for the younger YA crowd, and the book doesn't have as much action as you would expect from a 450 page novel. But, I think I liked it better than the first.

Just in case you aren't sure if we have the same opinions I like: yelling at my books, getting so into a novel that I forget to eat, having my emotions run crazy, and constantly asking myself questions. And I enjoyed this book, because a good book makes you think.

My Mind Is Racing With Emotions and Questions

I don't know how I made it out of this book alive. I swear, half of the time I was an emotional wreck, and the other half I just yelled at the characters and had so many questions. I excitedly waited for the arrival of this book, and was not disappointed.

Unravel me should really be called Character Develop Me. I'm not complaining, I really enjoyed seeing a different side to Adam and Warner. Even Kenji, and the other characters got more air-time then they normally would have in series. I really enjoyed reading this book, but as a warning, there are some scenes not advised for the younger YA crowd, and the book doesn't have as much action as you would expect from a 450 page novel. But, I think I liked it better than the first.

Just in case you aren't sure if we have the same opinions I like: yelling at my books, getting so into a novel that I forget to eat, having my emotions run crazy, and constantly asking myself questions. And I enjoyed this book, because a good book makes you think.

How can I begin to tell how much I love this book? To be honest, even though I've read a lot of good feedbacks about this book, I still worried about it. We are not new to the usual trend that happens with the second books, like it's jinxed that it would only be a big filler between the first and the last books. But after I read this particular second book, I was blown away. Tahereh Mafi, you are one helluvah genius.

In the first book, I sympathized with Juliette. In this book, she managed to annoy me at the first few parts. Omega Point reminded me of X-men's Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. If I were Juliette, I would surely feel elated to know that I am not alone. But no, she still felt lost and out of place. She chose to be with herself and Adam instead of getting to know the people living in Omega Point. And it's not only about that. She also had her moments of self-pity, too much wallowing and self-sacrificing shit that I was seriously considering the option of going inside the book and smacking her head just to knock some sense in her.

Adam was also an accessory to this crime. I know this should make us see their vulnerable part, but with Adam's current situation because of his ability, all they do is cry, feel sorry for themselves and their relationship and feel like there's nothing worth living and fighting for. Maybe it was more Juliette since Adam was willing to find some options for them to work things out. I never really got the chance to get to know him more as what I've planned to do before reading this book because it focused more on the impending war against The Reestablishment.

And of course, who can forget about the infamous 62nd chapter. To those who haven't read this, I'm pretty sure you're looking forward to this. Get yourselves ready, people because Tahereh blew my mind and my heart. The way it was written, the way the scene was written was awesomeballs. It was filled with so much emotions, you cannot avoid it whether you're rooting for the other guy.

All the characters in this book, all the discoveries and twists in plot, all the revelations blew my mind. This book made me laugh, made me want to tear my hair off, annoyed me and managed to break my heart. I cannot wait for the next book. With Juliette, super ready to bring down The Reestablishment, I'm pretty sure we're on for some action. I'm also curious and excited about the novella. We'll have another glimpse inside another character's mind and I wonder who will it be.

Unravel Me

How can I begin to tell how much I love this book? To be honest, even though I've read a lot of good feedbacks about this book, I still worried about it. We are not new to the usual trend that happens with the second books, like it's jinxed that it would only be a big filler between the first and the last books. But after I read this particular second book, I was blown away. Tahereh Mafi, you are one helluvah genius.

In the first book, I sympathized with Juliette. In this book, she managed to annoy me at the first few parts. Omega Point reminded me of X-men's Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. If I were Juliette, I would surely feel elated to know that I am not alone. But no, she still felt lost and out of place. She chose to be with herself and Adam instead of getting to know the people living in Omega Point. And it's not only about that. She also had her moments of self-pity, too much wallowing and self-sacrificing shit that I was seriously considering the option of going inside the book and smacking her head just to knock some sense in her.

Adam was also an accessory to this crime. I know this should make us see their vulnerable part, but with Adam's current situation because of his ability, all they do is cry, feel sorry for themselves and their relationship and feel like there's nothing worth living and fighting for. Maybe it was more Juliette since Adam was willing to find some options for them to work things out. I never really got the chance to get to know him more as what I've planned to do before reading this book because it focused more on the impending war against The Reestablishment.

And of course, who can forget about the infamous 62nd chapter. To those who haven't read this, I'm pretty sure you're looking forward to this. Get yourselves ready, people because Tahereh blew my mind and my heart. The way it was written, the way the scene was written was awesomeballs. It was filled with so much emotions, you cannot avoid it whether you're rooting for the other guy.

All the characters in this book, all the discoveries and twists in plot, all the revelations blew my mind. This book made me laugh, made me want to tear my hair off, annoyed me and managed to break my heart. I cannot wait for the next book. With Juliette, super ready to bring down The Reestablishment, I'm pretty sure we're on for some action. I'm also curious and excited about the novella. We'll have another glimpse inside another character's mind and I wonder who will it be.

First I just have to say that I love the cover for this book. It is absolutely stunning! I have been looking forward to this book ever since I finished reading the first in the series Shatter Me. It was well worth the wait and did not disappoint.

I fell in love with Tahereh Mafi's writing style in Shatter Me and it was no different in Unravel Me. Her writing is so beautiful. It keeps you glued to the book page after page. The writing is so descriptive you can't help but feel like you are Juliette. I felt like I was in her head feeling what she felt and going through what she went through.

I have to say in the first book I really did not like Warner one bit. Then I read Warner's story (Destroy Me) and I thought eh he isn't so bad but still wasn't a huge fan. This book has changed my mind about Warner. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I am team Warner or team Adam for that matter. But I can tolerate Warner much more than in the first book.

Unravel Me had me feeling so many different emotions. I was happy, sad, angry frustrated and so many more. I felt for Juliette and the decisions that she has to make.

The characters are so well written. I loved learning about them and what makes them tick. You get to see a different side to some which was a nice surprise.

I need the next book now!! While there is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of the book. I have to say that the last two lines are amazing.

I have left this review pretty vague except for my love for the book and the characters I don't want to spoil this amazing book for anyone with a play by play of what takes place. You will not be disappointed So pick it up today and get to reading.

Unravel Me

First I just have to say that I love the cover for this book. It is absolutely stunning! I have been looking forward to this book ever since I finished reading the first in the series Shatter Me. It was well worth the wait and did not disappoint.

I fell in love with Tahereh Mafi's writing style in Shatter Me and it was no different in Unravel Me. Her writing is so beautiful. It keeps you glued to the book page after page. The writing is so descriptive you can't help but feel like you are Juliette. I felt like I was in her head feeling what she felt and going through what she went through.

I have to say in the first book I really did not like Warner one bit. Then I read Warner's story (Destroy Me) and I thought eh he isn't so bad but still wasn't a huge fan. This book has changed my mind about Warner. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I am team Warner or team Adam for that matter. But I can tolerate Warner much more than in the first book.

Unravel Me had me feeling so many different emotions. I was happy, sad, angry frustrated and so many more. I felt for Juliette and the decisions that she has to make.

The characters are so well written. I loved learning about them and what makes them tick. You get to see a different side to some which was a nice surprise.

I need the next book now!! While there is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of the book. I have to say that the last two lines are amazing.

I have left this review pretty vague except for my love for the book and the characters I don't want to spoil this amazing book for anyone with a play by play of what takes place. You will not be disappointed So pick it up today and get to reading.

It was a highly anticipated book after the tome 1 - Shatter Me. And I really appreciated!
The writing Tahareh Mafi was, as usual, amazing. Her imagination, the plot and the way she writes, is the promise of a great time in these pages.

The first tome ended with the arrival of Juliette, Adam and James in Omega Point, where stay the resistance and people "like" Juliette. I like the "power" side of story. It reminds me Heroes!
Juliette tries to evolve with his power. By learning about it, she learns about herself, she discovers her personality in society, in the Omega Point. The evolution of the heroine is what I like the most in trilogies. Doubts, questions, choices.
As we learnt in Shatter Me, Point Omega welcomes people with power, as Kenji, which I enjoyed - even if he is always where he souldn't.
We see those people with power learn to be more or less collaborative in the use of their power together, and then I totally want the imagination of Tahereh Mafi. Damn, how can she build such an original story, moving!

I realized that the end of Destroy Me - Warner pov - was a part of this book - Juliette pov. And FINALLY, I understood the end of Destroy Me. And as my opinion about Warner really changed, Juliette's opinion too. And, yes, it makes me happy.
Yes.
But it means that Warner was in a huge part of the book... And no, it does not please me. I don't mean that it ruined the story. On the contrary! Suspense, interrogation, emotion ... What i mean is: WARNER-JULIETTE-ADAM!!

Soo, except for the father of Warner, I don't really hate many people.
I wonder about some characters, like Castle. I really want to know what he has in mind.
James and Adam are two characters laid aside. I would like to know more. I missed their trio with Juliette. However, I enjoyed the trio Adam - Juliette - Kenji.

The "love triangle" disappointed me. But the book is still awesome. And those fascinating words of Tahereh Mafi....
Finally, even if the book doesn't end with a real cliffhanger, I wonder what choices made Juliette in the last chapter. I really want to know what happened CONCRETELY in her head in that moment. Bring on the third book!

A great sequel

It was a highly anticipated book after the tome 1 - Shatter Me. And I really appreciated!
The writing Tahareh Mafi was, as usual, amazing. Her imagination, the plot and the way she writes, is the promise of a great time in these pages.

The first tome ended with the arrival of Juliette, Adam and James in Omega Point, where stay the resistance and people "like" Juliette. I like the "power" side of story. It reminds me Heroes!
Juliette tries to evolve with his power. By learning about it, she learns about herself, she discovers her personality in society, in the Omega Point. The evolution of the heroine is what I like the most in trilogies. Doubts, questions, choices.
As we learnt in Shatter Me, Point Omega welcomes people with power, as Kenji, which I enjoyed - even if he is always where he souldn't.
We see those people with power learn to be more or less collaborative in the use of their power together, and then I totally want the imagination of Tahereh Mafi. Damn, how can she build such an original story, moving!

I realized that the end of Destroy Me - Warner pov - was a part of this book - Juliette pov. And FINALLY, I understood the end of Destroy Me. And as my opinion about Warner really changed, Juliette's opinion too. And, yes, it makes me happy.
Yes.
But it means that Warner was in a huge part of the book... And no, it does not please me. I don't mean that it ruined the story. On the contrary! Suspense, interrogation, emotion ... What i mean is: WARNER-JULIETTE-ADAM!!

Soo, except for the father of Warner, I don't really hate many people.
I wonder about some characters, like Castle. I really want to know what he has in mind.
James and Adam are two characters laid aside. I would like to know more. I missed their trio with Juliette. However, I enjoyed the trio Adam - Juliette - Kenji.

The "love triangle" disappointed me. But the book is still awesome. And those fascinating words of Tahereh Mafi....
Finally, even if the book doesn't end with a real cliffhanger, I wonder what choices made Juliette in the last chapter. I really want to know what happened CONCRETELY in her head in that moment. Bring on the third book!

LATEST YABC BLOG POSTS - BLOG TOURS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND GIVEAWAYS

As White As Snow
by Salla Simukka
Release Date: March 3, 2015
About the Book
The heat of the summer sun bakes the streets of Prague, but Lumikki’s heart is frozen solid.
Looking to escape the notoriety caused by the part she played in taking down Polar Bea ...

Hi, YABCers, and welcome to today's cover reveal!
Today we're super excited to celebrate the cover reveal for WOLF BY WOLF by Ryan Graudin, releasing October 6, 2015 from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Before we get to the cover, here's a note from Ryan:
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READ BETWEEN THE LINES
by Jo Knowles
Release Date: March 10, 2015
Candlewick Press
ABOUT THE BOOK
Does anyone ever see us for who we really are? Jo Knowles’s revelatory novel of interlocking stories peers behind the scrim as it follows nine teens and one ...

Hey, everyone! We have another gorgeous cover reveal for you!
Today we're super excited to celebrate the cover reveal for DAUGHTER OF DUSK by Livia Blackburne, releasing August 4, 2015 from Disney-Hyperion. Before we get to the cover, here's a note from Livia:
Hi YABC! I'm ...

*****No Spoilers*****
The Nerd Riders, Kristin and Clint, have been busy seeing all of the new YA-friendly movies that have come out in the last few days.
Today they give their review of the new fantasy movie, SEVENTH SON, based on THE LAST APPRENTICE book series.
QUESTION ...

****** NO SPOILERS******
The Nerd Riders, Kristin and Clint just saw a sneak peek of JUPITER ASCENDING and share their thoughts on the sci-fi flick.
Question: If you could live on another planet would you?
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Hello, everyone! We have a special cover reveal coming to you early in the week!
Today we're super excited to celebrate the cover reveal for A MADNESS SO DISCREET by Mindy McGinnis, releasing October 6, 2015 from Katherine Tegan Books.
Ready to ...

FIREFIGHT
Book 2 in The Reckoners Series
by Brandon Sanderson
Released on January 6th
ABOUT FIREFIGHT
Brandon Sanderson is back with a vengeance in FIREFIGHT, the follow up to the #1 New York Times bestselling Steelheart. In the book that Kirkus Reviews ...

The Nerd Riders, Kristin and Clint, are at it again with their review of the new time travel movie PROJECT ALMANAC.
If you could time travel, where would you go?
Did you see PROJECT ALMANAC? Do you agree or disagree with the Nerd Riders?
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